When These Stars Light The Sky
by Just Continue
Summary: A collection of short stories written for SasuSaku Month.
1. Conversation

**Conversation**

_**Month Prompt #1**_

justcontinue

Sakura held back a sneeze as she tightened the knot of her scarf, even though it was nearly impossible with half-frozen fingers.

The wintertime working conditions of Konoha Daily was less than sufficient. Sakura mentally threw another curse at that damned custodian who never wanted to come at five o'clock in the morning to turn on the heating system.

She rubbed her knuckles together in an attempt to warm them, a trick her mother taught her during her first Konoha winter. It didn't seem to work at that particular moment, or maybe it was just Sakura in a terrible mood.

Her dusty computer monitor reflected the gradually-broadening rays of daylight seeping in through the high-rise's windows. Snowflakes were floating slowly from the ashen skies, sporadically sticking to the double-paned windows behind her.

Sakura sighed, watching as her breath misted in a silver cloud and floated away. _I'm so tired_, Sakura thought, closing her eyes and resting her cheek on the desk in front of her.

Tired of her job, even though writing for this newspaper was her _dream_ ever since she was a teenager. Tired of sharing an apartment with her fellow interns Ino and Tenten, who, when put together, were the perfect formula for a sleepless night with their music and chatter and constant shrieking. Tired of Naruto constantly showing up to her place and having to cook dinner for him, even though he _insisted_ he was perfectly fine with having ramen, but Sakura knew she had to feed the boy something other than ramen every night.

_Tired of life,_ Sakura concluded.

Her green eyes snapped open as she heard a rustling and felt the sensation of paper hit her forehead.

She bolted up to catch the culprit in the act, but there was only the backs of her co-workers typing away steadily at their computers.

Sakura furrowed her brow and reached for a bright yellow sticky note wadded up into a ball, sitting precariously at the edge of her desk. She unfolded the note with suspicious precision, only to be met with a line of fluid blue ink and impeccably neat handwriting.

_You'd better hope the Boss doesn't see you slacking off._

_-S_

Sakura bit her lip and slowly stood up to look at the cubicle directly across from hers.

A finely-structured face peered back at her. His black hair hung in thick strands across his dark eyes, framed with impossibly long lashes. There was a hint of mischief etched into his pale face, his slightly crooked mouth sliding into an easy smirk.

He placed his finger on his lips, silencing her. Gesturing for her to sit down again, he reached for another page from a stack of sticky notes positioned close by.

Sakura felt her heart thump, from excitement, curiosity, or whatever the hell this stranger was making her feel. She'd never seen this intern before. Was he new here? Or had they just never met? It seemed unlikely when their workspaces were so close together. Maybe he just didn't like to socialize? Well that didn't seem like a possibility if he was initiating a conversation with yellow sticky notes.

Another wad of paper flew past the wall that divided them and landed in a graceful arc on her lap.

_I liked your last article about the elephants. Very… touching._

_-S_

The clacking of heels made her stop in mid-reach for a pad of fluorescent pink sticky notes on _her_ desk. Tsunade was patrolling the aisles again, with an especially cross expression on her face.

Sakura bit her lip as she passed, trying to put on her most deceivingly interesting face as she stared at a blank computer monitor.

After the shadow left the corners of her cubicle, Sakura uncapped her best fountain pen and scrawled a reply.

_Thanks. _

_Who… are you?_

_Sorry my aim is probably terrible._

_-S_

Sakura checked behind her before crumpling up the paper and sending it flying over the wall.

There was a creaking of the office chairs as the mysterious newcomer bent down to retrieve her message.

Sakura found herself waiting in anticipation as the next one flew over.

_I'm… observant._

_Your aim is quite good for someone new at this._

_-S_

Sakura tapped the tip of her pen on the desk.

_So do you flirt with all the other interns you end up next to as well? _

_With Post-Its?_

_-S_

Sakura ran a list of all the possible names that started with _S_ through her mind. But none of them matched the face on the other side. That face. She longed to get another look.

_I'm only initiating conversation, Sakura._

_It does get a bit dull here, doesn't it?_

_-S_

Sakura suddenly smiled. It felt good after what seemed like an endlessly bad month of files and reports and catering to everyone's needs.

_Only a bit. You get used to the quiet after a while._

_How do you know my name?_

_What's your name?_

_Please tell me._

_-Sakura_

Sakura doodled a flower on her pad while waiting for a reply.

_I read your article on the elephants._

_Did you forget already?_

_Thanks for the flower. Or at least I think it's a flower._

_I can't be too sure._

_-S_

Sakura swear she heard a low chuckle from behind the wall.

_Now I'm hurt. :(_

_-Sakura_

She rested her chin in her palm as she waited for a reply. She could hear the rustling of paper, but nothing came sailing over.

A few minutes passed, and Sakura found herself beginning to panic slightly.

Was he going to write something back? Was she being to snippy? Her mother always told her she needed to hold her tongue half the time. She hated the thought of potentially offending this newfound friend of hers. She really hoped he'd-

Something colorful came whizzing by. It dropped onto the floor with a delicate crinkle.

Sakura bent down and picked up an origami paper flower, folded with meticulous precision in a dozen different colored tissue paper. It almost killed her to slowly unfold the beauty between her fingers to reveal the final message.

_Coffee at 10?_

_I'll make it up to you. :)_

_-Sasuke_

_**A/N: **_**Ah yes, I was in the mood for some cute fluff to kick off SasuSaku Month. Sorry if the characters are terribly OOC. **

**Please review, it would make my day. :**


	2. Hostage

**Hostage**

_**Month Prompt #2**_

justcontinue

Four tents were pitched in a neat row against the setting sun. Sakura stood in front of them and stared. Not at the tents necessarily. She wasn't starting at much at all. Her mind had wandered off into the distant horizon.

Even though the first stars had already appeared on the horizon, the camp was still bustling with activity. Lee and Shino were hammering the last tent leg into the ground. Choji and Shikamaru were gathering firewood, tossing them carelessly into the already raging flames.

"We're trying to keep ourselves warm, not burn the forest down!" Ino was screaming at them.

Hinata murmured something into the collar of her shirt and continued unpacking their possessions.

If the tightening feeling in her chest would give way for just a heartbeat, Sakura would marvel at how well the eleven of them worked together. Growing up together, attending the academy, training together, appointing rivals and allies…

It all seemed so long ago. Back when the summer winds were sweet, back when the grass was green and soft, back when the future was a distant speck in the sky and the melody of laughter rang in her ears…

Back when her hands weren't stained with so much blood. Back when she knew not of heartbreak, tears, anguish and lost hope.

"It's too bad Naruto isn't here to see this." Sai had appeared out of nowhere. Sakura startled out of her thoughts.

"It's probably a good thing," Sakura commented, trying to draw herself out of her lull. "He would've broken something by now."

Sai didn't say anything. Perhaps he didn't know what to say.

"He'll be okay," Sakura said, reassuring herself more than Sai. "He's stronger than any shinobi I know."

Silence.

"You're not worried about Naruto," Sai finally said. "You're worried about Sa-"

"_Shhh_," Sakura hissed. "_Don't_." She glanced around her. "We don't mention that name in front of anyone. We already went over this."

Sai looked genuinely confused. "I thought we're supposed to be scared of the guy, not his name."

"No it's not like that." Sakura clenched her fists. "Just don't, Sai. They're all going to go haywire if they hear it. Our mission in this war is to find him, remember? I can't believe you forgot!"

Sai backed off a few paces, nodding and blinking his dark eyes. For the longest time, Sakura had mistaken those eyes for another pair.

Sakura loosened her stance and let out a long sigh. "Sorry," she apologized.

Her muscles were sore from a long day of walking. Her heart was sore from a long year of hoping.

_Stop thinking about it_, Sakura ordered herself, shaking her head furiously to clear it of all possible thoughts returning.

A loud holler from within the woods caught her off guard. The rest of the camp raised their heads, eyes glued to the treeline, waiting like a pack of hungry wolves for a juicy piece of prey.

Sakura's heart began to race. She had sent out a group of them to scout the area, look for water sources and possible routes out of the woodland, but she never stopped twice to think there could be other things found on the battlefield.

She swore under her breath and raced towards the clearing where the camp met the treeline. The figures emerged out of the shadowy twilight in a mass. Sakura could barely make out Neji's long hair or Tenten's pigtails. The flashing emblems inscribed on their headbands were the only telltale sign that these were indeed Konoha shinobi.

"You won't believe what the cat dragged in," Tenten said breathlessly, the evening breeze blowing back loose strands of her brown hair. She threw a quick glance at Neji, reflecting his eyes shining with triumph and sparking with a battle-hungry light.

As they moved into the flickering firelight, Sakura noticed a third person behind the two.

Sakura felt her heart nearly jump out of her throat.

"I have to go check on… Hinata," she barely managed to choke out as she whirled around to make her escape. She didn't make it very far. The ground began spinning towards her and she was flat on her face in a heartbeat.

A voice cut through her ragged breathing. A voice she'd dreamed about for so long, dreaded to hear, swore she would give everything in the world to hear again, to forget forever…

"What's wrong, _Sakura_?" She barely heard it through the unbearably loud uproar started by all her fellow teammates in the campsite. They pushed and shoved and shouted in hopes of getting a glance at their unexpected surprise.

A soft hand rested on her shoulder. Hinata's large eyes peered at her with sympathy. "I'll ask Neji what happened later," she offered, her thin voice, like a delicate strand of spider's silk, swallowed by the din.

It was funny how her sanity seemed to be doing the exact same thing.

***ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ sᴛᴀʀs ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴋʏ***

They had him tied up somewhere outside.

Sakura sipped a cup of bland tea, huddling her legs together. A small flap across the tent entrance allowed a steady trickle of silver starlight to enter the otherwise gloomy living quarters.

_How? WHY?_ It was physically and mentally impossible for Sakura to stop thinking about it. About _him_. She hadn't seen or heard a shred of his existence for _years_, and now he just showed up at her doorstep.

Sakura swore again and buried her head in her hands.

Apparently Tenten and Neji had just… walked into him while they were scouting the forest.

_Walked into him?_ Sasuke was never that careless. He knew they were there. He must have.

Did he let himself get captured deliberately?

Well whatever the case was, he was now Konoha's hostage.

"It makes no sense," Sakura whispered to herself, lifting her head. She crawled over to the corner of their tent. "Hinata. Hinata, I need to talk to you." There had to be more that her friend wasn't telling her. Sakura refused to believe that was the entire story.

Hinata stirred in the shadows. "Go to sleep, Sakura," she murmured sleepily, then rolled over and the tent was silent again.

Sakura set down her mug. If Hinata wasn't going to give her answers, she was going to have to find them herself.

Sakura held her breath as she slowly, painstakingly unzipped the entrance flap. Somehow she managed to crawl out of the tent and was suddenly faced with the most beautiful expanse of stars she'd ever seen, glittering across an indigo sky. Instantly she was reminded of her genin days. Team 7. Lying in the long grass, sleeping in the summer breeze, counting the billions of stars that shone coldly down at them.

She was going to cry. She had barely even taken a step and she was already breaking down. She never understood how one being could affect her to such an extent.

Shikamaru was, or was supposed to be, keeping guard, but he was fast asleep, his snores reverberating through the empty clearing. Sakura couldn't help shooting the sleeping genius a glare. Sasuke would've burnt their village to the ground by now.

_But he didn't_, Sakura thought, letting out a shaky breath as her vision focused on the center of the camp.

He looked so small, curled up alongside the dying embers in dirty white clothing. His hands and feet were bound and his hair was too long.

Sakura was making a beeline for him, ignoring the hundreds of inner voices shrieking at her to stop.

Oh yes, she knew this was a mistake.

Her pace slowed to a halt as Sasuke's eyes snapped up to meet hers. Suddenly her throat felt incredibly dry.

They just looked at each other for one achingly long moment.

He was still the same. Even after all these years, all these battles and wars and deaths, all these discoveries and losses, there was still the ghost of a broken boy etched on his face.

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, but Sasuke spoke first.

"I'm coming home." So soft the wind could've carried it away like a feather.

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut for a heartbeat. "You're coming… home?" she repeated, confused, searching him for some rhyme or reason. The last time she saw him she was positive "coming home" was the last thing on his mind. Hell, he wanted nothing more than to completely _destroy_ his so-called "home".

Sakura suppressed the urge to slit his throat right there and then.

"Do you even…" Tears were falling. Her vision was getting blurry. _Oh no_. "…I can't believe you'd have the nerve…" Her voice was rising. Blood roaring in her ears.

"I figured this was the easiest way," Sasuke continued coolly, flatly. "Captured as a Konoha hostage."

"They're going to kill you the moment you step foot in the village gates, and rightly so, you… you…"

The corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk so familiar that Sakura could literally feel it cutting into her heart.

"I won't bother explaining to you. A lot of things you'll never understand." His gaze suddenly dropped to the ground, and a look of undeniable pain twisted his features. Only for a fleeting second. Then it was gone.

He raised his head again, locking eyes with hers. Black to green. Darkness to life. End to beginning.

It was in that moment Sakura understood more about this boy she'd loved for so long than at any other time.

_**A/N: **_**Oh mai. I don't know how I feel about this one. It doesn't really answer the prompt does it… **

**Thank you for the lovely reviews! I would love it if you reviewed this one as well!**

**I'm such a night owl. Am I the only one who needs to write in the middle of the night?**


	3. Rebel

**Rebel**

_**Month Prompt #3**_

justcontinue

It was made clear to him at a young age how his life was going to be. How every Uchiha's life was going to be-become a superior shinobi, join the police force, marry someone from the Clan, have a bunch of kids so the Sharigan lineage continues to thrive. It was all for the good of the Uchiha Clan.

That's what his mother and father did. That's what _everyone_ did, from the first generation of Uchiha down to the newest. Most importantly, that was what Itachi was going to do, so naturally Sasuke was eagerly following in his footsteps.

Of course, there came a time when Sasuke grew up. And as it happens to many children that grow up, their ideals begin to change.

Team 7 had drifted apart after all three of them successfully passed their Chuunin exams. The lands were quite and peaceful, missions were few and slow… Sasuke often had to suppress the urge to lie under a tree and watch clouds for the entire day. It was truly a good time in the shinobi world.

Sasuke was naturally something of an introvert, so reaching out and connecting with his teammates was a constant struggle. He wasn't particularly interested in their daily on-goings, now that they were no longer training together, but out of courtesy and respect he did accept Naruto's all-too-often invitations to Ichiraku's for ramen.

One particular night when he was heading out to the ramen stand, he came across a hushed conversation being whispered back and forth by his parents.

"Oh Fugaku, things are different now in his generation," his mother was saying. "You can't expect him to settle down right now."

"He's twenty years old, it's about time he does settle down and think about what he wants for his future!" Fugaku was having a hard time keeping his voice down. "When I was his age I was already getting married!"

"You mean what _you_ want for his future," Mikoto said briskly. "Maybe you should give him some space and let him figure out what he wants."

"He doesn't know what he wants," Fugaku growled. Sasuke saw the shadow of his figure cross its arms. "Boys at his age just want to run around and do whatever they want. And I can't have that happen. Just about anything could tarnish this family's reputation!"

"Sasuke is a responsible boy." Mikoto's tone was tart. "You're not giving him enough credit."

"Whatever he's doing, I'm putting a stop to it right now. Where is the boy?"

"I'm here," Sasuke announced, walking into the room. His father gave him a quizzical glance.

"Where are you planning on going?" he demanded.

"Out," Sasuke replied simply, trying to keep his own temper under control.

"Out? I don't like that attitude, young man."

"What he's trying to say is," Mikoto interrupted. "There's someone we'd like you to meet when you get back. So hurry it up, alright?"

Sasuke made a face, and slipped out of the back door unnoticed.

Fists clenched in his pocket, he tried not to storm his way down the sidewalk. The village was brightly lit, even this late at night, with hanging lanterns from the stores and indoor lights casting shadows onto the paved roads.

He couldn't help feeling angry at his parents. He knew Uchiha lore dictated that all children must respect their parents, but he could literally run away from that compound and never look back.

If there was one thing he hated, it was someone breathing down his neck, micromanaging him, telling him what to do and how to do it and everything with his life. And that was exactly what his father was starting to do. Fugaku got the idea in his head that, somehow, Sasuke had become an uncontrollable whirlwind of hormones and rebellion.

_If I was ever going to do something, I would've done it a long time ago_, Sasuke fumed.

In his rage, Sasuke almost tripped over a bundle of something soft and warm under his foot. He stumbled, and then turned to see what he had almost crushed under his pace.

"Sakura?" Sasuke almost stammered.

Sakura was sitting on the sidewalk, knees huddled together. She glanced up as Sasuke called her name. He could see her green eyes were rimmed with redness and tears, her mascara running down her face. She dabbed her eyes with a soggy tissue and sniffled. "Hi Sasuke." She sounded miserable.

"What… what happened?" Sasuke asked, kneeling down in front of her, scanning her face for any outward sign of a struggle. Did she get beat up? Or… worse? He glanced around to see if there was anyone nearby, but saw nothing but a stray dog and the long summer grasses blowing in the breeze.

"No it's not like that," Sakura mumbled, blowing her nose. "I just had a pretty bad fight with my parents. I don't think they want to see me for a while."

Sasuke almost laughed at the irony of the situation. That would've been him if he'd had her passion and determination.

"I understand," was all he said.

Sakura sighed and leaned her head back on the fence bordering the sidewalk. "You always do," she said quietly. Wiping away the rest of her make up, she sniffled again and looked at him. "Looks like I have to sleep at Naruto's again."

Something in Sasuke's brain clicked. "No. You can stay at my house tonight," he offered before his mind could catch up to what his mouth was putting out.

Sakura's green eyes widened. "Really? Your parents aren't going to like that," she pointed out, the corners of her mouth turning upwards. "I thought they didn't like seeing you with girls."

The comment stung a bit, but Sasuke was glad she was being honest. "Oh, they've gotten used to it," he said, reaching out his hand to help her up. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Fun?" Sakura echoed, struggling to her feet. "Great, we can both be grounded until we become Jonin."

"Exactly," Sasuke replied. Sakura suddenly burst into giggles, and Sasuke couldn't help reflecting her happiness with a grin.

She clung to his arm as they shuffled back to the Uchiha neighborhood.

"I haven't seen you in a while, Sasuke," she sighed, wiping away the last of her tears. "What have you been up to?"

"Training," Sasuke answered nonchalantly. "Getting ready to go into the police force."

"I remember you telling me about that," Sakura said, gazing up at the illuminated sign that marked the beginning of the Uchiha compound. "Isn't that what every male member of the Clan does at some point?"

"Aa." Sasuke nodded.

"It must be interesting being an Uchiha," Sakura went on, her voice beginning to brighten as she saw some children run across the sandy road, shrieking and giggling in their game of tag. "Don't you _have_ to marry someone within the Clan as well?"

"Not necessarily for everyone," Sasuke replied.

"What about you?" Sakura turned her head to look at him intently.

Sasuke shuffled uncomfortably. "I guess I don't have to. It's more like I _want_ to." That was what he had trained himself to say for the longest time, but somehow it came out hollow.

Something in Sakura's gaze flickered and dimmed. "Oh," she said, sounding somewhat dejected. "I suppose it's hard to find someone outside who would understand the customs and everything."

"I suppose," Sasuke agreed.

"My parents don't understand anything about the shinobi way," Sakura said, brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face. "That's why they decided to kick me out of the house today, actually. But… I'll spare you the details."

Sasuke didn't know quite what to say.

"Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world where we could do whatever we wanted?" she sighed, gazing up at the stars. "That'd be nice."

"That would," Sasuke murmured in agreement.

They walked in silence the rest of the way.

The last time he'd been with Sakura was several months ago at an impromptu picnic with Kakashi and Naruto, to "catch up on the old days". There was never anyone quite like her in his life. She was maybe the only sane female he knew, other than his mother, who talked sense half the time. Sure, she was still a bit crazy and did some crazy things, but all in all, Sasuke would have to say he really enjoyed her company, even when they were silent like they were now.

Sakura stopped short.

Sasuke wanted to be surprised to see his parents waiting for him on the porch, but he really wasn't.

Fugaku took one look at Sasuke and the flushed-faced, wide-eyed girl clinging to his arm before flying into a rage.

"So this is what you've been doing all night, isn't it Sasuke? Going behind ours backs and-"

"Fugaku, stop yelling," Mikoto ordered, stepping forward and revealing a third person behind them. "Well this was the person we wanted you to meet, dear. This is Yui. Yui, this is my son Sasuke."

A delicately-structured woman, a couple years older than Sasuke it seemed, with long black hair and large eyes, walked forward a few paces to shake hands with him.

She immediately caught eyes with Sakura. Sasuke would never know how females could communicate without saying a word in their strange telepathic ways, but it seemed to work quite effectively every time.

"I'll go," Sakura said quickly, untangling herself from Sasuke's arm and turning to leave.

"Wait," Sasuke said, grabbing her.

He knew what was going on. He'd seen this happen with Itachi a million times over. At whatever age Fugaku deemed necessary, he started to introduce young, available girls from the Uchiha Clan to him, in hopes of creating some sort of a match.

It wasn't going to go down that way to him.

"Actually, I want _you_ to meet someone," he said through gritted teeth. "This is my girlfriend, Sakura."

He couldn't help relishing the looks on everyone's faces.

_**A/N: **_

**Sorry about the late update, guys. I was sick yesterday so I couldn't get this one up. But hopefully I'll be back on track today.**

**Thanks again for the reviews! I really appreciate them. :**


	4. Lick

**Lick**

_**Month Prompt #4**_

justcontinue

They stood around a steel gray telephone pole in the dead of winter. Snowflakes were swirling around them in a maddening blizzard. Classes were cancelled due to the terrible weather Konoha had been experiencing.

"Never before in the history of this village have we seen such weather," the man on the radio was saying.

So there was naturally nothing better to do than for a bunch of eight year old boys to stand around a metal pole and dare each other to stick their tongues on it, right?

Sasuke was raised as an intelligent child. His mother made sure he never did anything as stupid as he was about to do.

"Awesome!" Kiba hollered as he ran up to the pole, licked it, and came back with a bleeding tongue. "That was two whole seconds! You're next, Naruto!"

Naruto laughed gleefully and made his way to the dreadful thing. He winked at the lot of them and stuck his tongue on it. He waited a very long moment before tearing it off. He did a victory lap around the pole while everyone cheered.

This was dreadful, Sasuke thought, looking on, uninterested. If he had anything better to do, he wouldn't be here.

"Sasuke, it's your turn," Naruto announced in his foghorn voice, already hoarse from screaming and the cold.

"No," Sasuke stated. There was no way he was going to risk his tastebuds for something only losers would do.

"I dare you," Naruto taunted.

"No," Sasuke repeated, glaring at him.

"I _triple doggy dare you_."

"_Ooooh_," the rest of the boys chorused. "Do it! Do it! Do it!"

Now his Uchiha pride was at stake. Looked like he had no choice.

Sasuke tossed his head and marched up to the pole. He tried looking for a place where Naruto hadn't slobbered all over, but there was none. Standing on his tiptoes, he licked the searing cold metal pole.

Instantly he felt his saliva freeze over and glued it to the pole. He tried stepping back and tearing his tongue from the surface, but he was stuck fast.

"Heewp!" he tried saying, but all he heard was a unison of laughs.

"Let's get out of here!" It was Choji's voice. The other boys whooped in agreement and he heard the pounding of boots as they all disappeared into the blizzard.

Sasuke remained stuck.

_Great_. If he ever got out of this alive, he was going to _kill_ Naruto.

A long time passed. His face was getting numb. And his tongue was still not coming off the pole. He must've looked ridiculous to anyone who passed by, if anyone did.

_I'm going to die like this_, Sasuke thought. He almost cried at the idea of his pathetic death. They were probably going to laugh at him at his funeral.

He was shivering. Maybe he should just man up and rip his whole tongue out. No, that'd be extremely gross…

Sasuke tried to take off his mittens and pry his tongue off, but his hands were frozen the moment he took them off. Sliding his hands back into his pocket, he continued plotting his vengeance against those idiots.

Suddenly, out of the blue, a soft girl's voice sounded from behind him. "Sasuke?"

"Thakura?" Oh no. Out of all the people to find him like this…

Sakura was laughing. "What happened? Wait don't tell me…" She let loose another fit of giggles. "You can't get off of there, huh?"

"Thut upth an' hewp meh," Sasuke growled, feeling his cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"What?" Sakura echoed.

"HEWP. ME." Sasuke repeated, his embarrassment turning to anger.

Sakura sighed. "Okay, okay," she chuckled. "Let me get my camera!"

"Thakura!"

"Just kidding. Here, I'll get something."

Her footsteps receded, leaving Sasuke to stare at the pole once more.

It took her a long time to come back. His face was growing numb again. He was probably going to lose his nose from frostbite at this point. She was heaving with effort and there was a sloshing noise accompanying her steps.

"I got some hot water. I'm gonna pour it and you try to pull back ok?"

"Waaith-"

Sasuke almost screamed as scalding hot water splashed onto his face. He stumbled backwards, free from the pole at last.

"Oops, sorry." Sakura was bundled up in her puffy pink coat and hat, leaning over him in concern. "That might've been a little too hot."

"You think?" Sasuke grumbled, rubbing his face as he got to his feet.

"Hey, don't I get a thank you?" Sakura pouted. "I saved your life!"

Sasuke snorted. "Hardly. You could've killed me."

Sakura huffed and kicked her heel, walking away with her boots storming the sidewalk.

"Okay, sorry. Thanks for saving my life," Sasuke muttered.

Sakura didn't make any sign that indicated she heard him, but Sasuke was sure she already knew.

_**A/N: **_**Ah this is so short. **

**Happy 4th of July, my fellow Americans**


	5. Teacher

**Teacher**

_**Month Prompt #7**_

justcontinue

**A/N: **I got so caught up in other things going on in my life I kind of forgot to keep writing the daily prompts. Oops. Well I'll try my best to keep going. This is the Day 7 prompt I never posted. Enjoy!

Lights, music, people. Everything was a whirlwind of sound and colors and heat around him.

It was surprising a party filled with 13-year olds right after an exhaustive couple weeks in the Chuunin exams could be so… lively. Someone must've let the sake slip in unnoticed.

Shikamaru's party was nearly shaking the village down with its blasting music and its crowds. Downstairs, the adults and almost everyone in the village had gathered to play cards or whatever they were doing. The genin were confined upstairs to a rather cramped bedroom, but no one seemed to be complaining. Except Sasuke, of course. He was in such a terrible mood after what happened during the exams, nothing seemed to make him feel remotely better.

A small crowd were playing some version spin-the-bottle in the middle of the floor, scattered between empty soda cans and wrapping paper.

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino's shrill voice cut through the din. "Come here and play with us!"

Sasuke, who was leaning against the wall, arms folded, scowl turned on full power, threw his best Uchiha glare at the vivacious blonde. "No."

Ino pouted. "Come on, Sasuke-kun. It'll be _fun_."

"No."

"Gosh, you'd think he'd have more to say after getting your butt kicked by G-"

Sasuke had already found a doorknob behind his back and threw himself into the next room before he could hear anymore.

Blood pounding in his ears, he sank to the ground.

The room was dark and chilly. Kind of like him. Sasuke had never been to the Nara household before, but he never thought they'd have such a spacious home.

He pressed his back against the wall. The sound of the party on the other side was muffled, but he could still hear every word being spoken.

"Look what you did." It was Sakura's voice.

Ino huffed. "I didn't do anything. It's not my fault he's a sore loser and doesn't want to play with us." Pause. "He's probably a terrible kisser."

"_Ino_." Sasuke immediately recognized that as Sakura's warning tone. She sighed. Sakura's sighs always sounded like wind chimes. "I'll go talk to him before he… hurts himself or something."

The roar of the party got louder for a moment as the door beside him creaked open?

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's voice echoed through the empty room. Her green eyes searched the gloom until they fell on his huddled figure by the door. She quickly glanced behind her shoulder before closed the door behind her.

It was pitch black now. Sasuke couldn't even glare at her. Not that he wanted to anyway. It was getting more and more difficult to get irritated at Sakura's persistent shadowing these days. Maybe it wasn't even called shadowing anymore. Sasuke could get a feeling that this girl was genuinely concerned about him.

_She shouldn't be_, Sasuke thought, reminding himself that he didn't need _anyone_ to help him with _anything._

"You should go back to the game," was all he said in reply.

Sakura didn't say anything for a moment, then she sighed her wind-chime sigh again. "Honestly…" She crouched down until she was at his level. Her wide eyes peered at him through the darkness. "Are you still caught up about what happened?"

"You don't understand," Sasuke said coldly.

"No, I do understand." Sakura's tone became suddenly sharp. "You just can't stand the fact that you almost _died_ and you let Naruto save your sorry self." She let the statement linger in the air. "Just forget about it, Sasuke-kun," she murmured softly. He felt her touch his arm lightly. He immediately shivered, and it wasn't from the cold.

Sasuke turned his body away from her touch. "I wasn't good enough," he muttered bitterly. "You saw for yourself. I couldn't even do anything."

He could sense Sakura ready to argue, but after a heartbeat she relented.

"Let's go," she said in her bright, chipper, happy voice, the one she used often to cover up any hurt, heartbreak, anguish, and unforgettable pain. "We can go back to the party and have fun tonight, ok Sasuke-kun?"

"I'm not playing spin the bottle or whatever that stupid game is called."

"Why not?" Sakura chuckled.

"Go away." Sasuke wanted to pull his collar over his head and disappear.

"I'm not going to let you stay in here and sulk." Sasuke heard the ruffling of her clothes as she crossed her arms.

"I'm not sulking."

"Yes you are."

"You're annoying."

"Ok, I'll just tell them you're a terrible kisser, just like Ino said you are." Sakura hopped to her feet.

Sasuke's hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. "Wait."

There was an stunned silence.

"I… don't exactly know… how to… kiss."

Another moment of stunned silence.

Sakura started giggling.

"What's so funny?" Sasuke snapped.

"It's just… I never thought you'd say that, Sasuke-kun. You're so good at everything else." Sakura had fallen on the floor beside him in her fit of laughter.

"Thanks." Sasuke hoped his sarcasm was enough to drive her off.

"I could teach you." Sakura's voice was soft.

"What?"

"I could teach you how to kiss," Sakura elaborated.

"You don't know how to _kiss_," Sasuke scoffed. At least, he was sure she didn't. How many boys had she kissed in her lifetime? The number had better be zero or Sasuke was seriously missing something there.

"Of course I do. Everyone knows how," Sakura chirped. "You do this."

Suddenly there was warm pressure on the side of his face. Sakura's lips grazed his cheek ever so slightly. Before he knew what was happening, the sensation disappeared.

The silence between them just got longer and longer.

"Except… you know." Sakura murmured, clearly embarrassed by what she had just done.

Sasuke made a sound that was a cross between disbelief and confusion.

"Sorry," Sakura whispered. She made no attempt to move away, though. Her palms of her tiny hands were still pressed on his leg. Sasuke was suddenly painfully aware of her body heat in the chilled room, the scent of her hair and rhythm of her breathing…

"That's it?" Sasuke said.

Sakura's breathing hitched. "What do you mean?"

"Aren't you going to teach me how to kiss?" Sasuke had no idea why he was teasing her like that. Did he want her to actually… He was losing his mind. He couldn't do this. Not here, not now, not with the million other things he needed to do in his life…

But she was getting closer. He could feel her hair tickling his face and the soft skin of her cheek brushing his.

"I'll try." She made no sound, but Sasuke could feel her lips forming those words on the corner of his mouth.

And then it happened.

Sasuke had never really thought about kissing, or about girls in general, but he'd never imagined that his first actual kiss would be from Sakura Haruno. That annoying girl who was always tailing him. That girl he'd never have feelings for. Or so he thought.

He was now treading on thin ice. He'd never seen his parents kiss, or anyone else for that matter. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to kiss her back? Why should he kiss her back? He was going to kiss her back. It was already happening. Instinctively. The last time he had lost control of his body was back at the Chuunin exams.

Where were his hands supposed to go? Right now they were frozen awkwardly in mid-air, stopped halfway in an attempt to push her away. But he couldn't push her away. Why couldn't he just…

He felt her warm fingers slide between his, interlocking their hands together in such a tender and gentle way Sasuke could swear his face was heating up.

It seemed like a blink of an eye and an eternity at the same time before the sensation of her kiss disappeared.

"H-How was that?" Her voice sounded thin and terrified, as if she was frightened by what had just happened between them. Maybe she didn't have any experience after all.

Sasuke didn't say anything. He didn't know what to say.

"I'm going." She was scrambling to the door and turned the doorknob. A tiny bit of light from the other side streamed in.

"Wait." For the second time that night, he caught her by the wrist. This time he pulled her towards him.

She landed with a thump in his lap. They were both breathing heavily, their hearts racing a million miles a second. Adjusting his eyes to the light, he stared at her face for the first time. Her cheeks were flushed and her hair was messy. Her green eyes were wide with wonder, lit with a wild fire he'd never seen before.

"Thank you." And with that, he gave in to his impulse and kissed her.

In the years that passed, walking along the long and lonely path of anger and revenge, Sasuke often thought back to that moment. That very moment when all the bitterness and loneliness and rage melted away with the touch of her hand and everything seemed to be alright.

He didn't want to think about it, but his mind always longed for that comfort and peace. Maybe he'll never admit it, but he longed for Sakura. Because to him, Sakura wasn't just that annoying girl who knew nothing and wouldn't stop being so annoying and would never understand him, ever ever _ever_. Sakura was the only one who knew everything and could make him forget everything, even if it was just for a fleeting moment. Even if she had faded away as a distant memory in blurry shades of gray, her lesson stayed with him for a long time.

She might've thought she taught him how to kiss on that night.

But the truth is, she taught him how to love.

**A/N: **

This will be the last fic. Thank you for reading this little collection. It was a good first year, even if I only wrote a few.


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